A Place For Miracles
by reddneckin
Summary: Andy Hillstrand's life finally seems to be getting back on track. What happens when a storm hits the plantation.


Andy looked at Lizzie wide eyed. He knew what she meant by late.

"How late are you?" The look on his face was starting to piss her off. If indeed she was, she sure as hell did not get that way by herself.

"About three weeks I guess" Lizzie buried her face In her hands and shook her head.

"Why do I feel like a damn teenager again?" Andy said.

"I don't know. I feel the same way" She looked at him with those hypnotizing eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me before now?" Lizzie started back up toward the porch, but Andy was not too sure he wanted to. He did not want Rusty to hear him. He had just got the guy to the point that he sort of liked him. How was he gonna feel if he knew Andy might have knocked his sister up.

"We should have been using something" Andy said. He knew better. Jonathan had always told him to make sure he had a condom in his wallet before he left home, or at least money to buy one with.

"Well, that's whiskey under the bridge now" Lizzie looked up at him. "Now do you understand why I was so upset? I thought I would be left high and dry. I am scared shitless Andy"

He wrapped his arms around her. He put his lips to the top of her head and smelled her hair. She always smelled good, even when she came in from riding or hunting gators.

"Everything will be ok. I promise you. I tell you one thing. No more riding for you, and no more trapping or hunting gators" Andy gave her a stern look. It pissed Lizzie off. She was not accustomed to being told what she would or would not do, and especially hated it when a man tried it.

"I don't even know if I am or not." Lizzie turned and started to the door.

Andy walked up behind her and took her hand, "When will you know"

"I see the doctor tomorrow"

"What time" Andy wanted to be sure he was free to go with her.

"Its at 10. I don't expect you to go with me."

"Well, I am going with you" Andy pulled her close. He secretly hoped that Lizzie was indeed having his baby.

"I haven't told Bubba yet, so don't say anything ok" Lizzie was not afraid of him, she just was not looking forward to the lecture she knew would come. She knew that her brother loved her, and felt responsible for her, but sometimes his overprotective nature was too much for her. He acted shocked that she even knew what a man's penis was, much less what it was for. She started to giggle and Andy was curious to know what was so funny.

"What the hell is so funny" He looked at her with a sideways grin.

"I was just thinking about the time that my brother gave me "the talk" I was probably around 12 or 13. He said, "You know what a man's private parts are right" I said yes and he said, "Ok, don't ever touch it and don't let it touch you"

Andy almost fell over laughing. "That was his idea of a sex talk" Lizzie nodded her head. "I pretty much figured out the rest by myself."

The next morning, Lizzie woke up and showered before she went downstairs. The guests had checked out and her brother was headed down to clean the cottages.

"Hey" Lizzie said as she came downstairs, "where you going"

"Going to clean the cottages." He noticed she was dressed nicer than normal. To Lizzie getting dressed for the day usually consisted of a tshirt and levis.

"I have to go see the doctor" Lizzie fished around for her keys.

"You sick" She shook her head no. "Well, what the hell you going to the doctor for? That boy aint give you a disease has he"

"No. Its just a checkup ok." Rusty went on out the back door, and Lizzie was thankful. She hated it when he questioned her like that.

Andy came downstairs and insisted that Lizzie eat. She felt queasy and really did not want anything.

"Hey, if you are carrying my baby, you need to eat." Lizzie knew he was right, and grabbed a bagel.

"Only one cup of coffee for you" He sat the cup down in front of her.

They headed into town, and Lizzie was as nervous as a cat in a room full of porch rockers. What if she really was pregnant. She stole a sideways look at Andy. He was ruggedly handsome, but at the same time had soft features that made him look boyish. "Well," she thought to herself, "Maybe it will look like him"

Andy stopped the truck and cut the engine. He looked over at her and his heat skipped. Andy had not felt this way in a long time. He leaned over and rubbed Lizzie's stomach and then kissed her.

"You ready?" He smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess so" She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Andy came over and opened her door. "You ok babe?" Lizzie nodded.

The drive back was a long one. Andy was beside himself. Lizzie was terrified. What the hell was she gonna tell her brother.

Andy turned down the road that led to the plantation, and Lizzie looked out the window. They had a lot of wild animals, and it felt as if they passed every species that lived in the woods. They passed a mama fox with her kit. They passed a mama cow with her calf. "Shit," Lizzie thought to herself. "This ain;t funny."

Andy parked the truck and they sat for a minute.

He looked over at her, and pure love welled up inside of him. He got out and walked around to her side of the truck.

"You ok." He asked her when he opened her door.

Lizzie looked at him and smiled, "Yeah, I 'm ok" She stepped out of the truck and Andy grabbed her around the waist.

"I love you" He had a huge grin on his face.

"I know" Lizzie ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you too"

Lizzie was trying to figure out how to tell her brother. He was gonna blow his stack, she just knew it.

"Hey, I think I am gonna take a walk. I need some air" Andy offered to walk with her.. Lizzie shook her head no. She needed to be alone so she could think.

Lizzie walked down to Pikes Pond and sat down on her favorite rock. She was over 40, but she felt like she was 16. She was over 40! She was over 40 and pregnant. The doctor had assured her that even though she was high risk, she had no health problems and they saw no reason why she should have any problems. Lizzie remembered the look on Andy's face when he saw the baby on the ultrasound machine. He bent down and kissed her and hugged her. Lizzie was so touched she cried. She knew Andy would be a good father, but she was scared. Even though she had Andy, and her brother once he got use to the idea, she had never felt more alone in her life. She stood up and walked back to the house. She knew she was going to have to tell her brother, and the sooner the better.

Lizzie reached the house, and started up the steps. Andy was coming out the front door.

"You have a nice walk." He came down the steps and gave her a hug.

"Yeah," Lizzie nodded. "You seen Rusty?"

"I think he's down at the barn. Listen, we can tell him about this together if you want to."

She shook her head no.

"I will tell him. He'll take it better coming from me anyway."

Lizzie started down to the barn. She could hear her brother singing along with the radio. He really should have gone to Nashville and tried to get a recording contract.

"Hey pud" He said when he saw her coming. "Everything ok?"

Lizzie looked at him and almost started crying. She loved him so much, and now she feared she would disappoint him. He had always been there for her. He was there when she woke up in the middle of the night scared, cheered for her at Barrel Racing Competitions and helped to mend her many broken hearts.

"Come here and sit down. I have to tell you something"

He sauntered over and sat down on the bench beside her.

"When's the baby due?" She looked up at him shocked.

"How did you know?" Lizzie was certain that when she and Andy had talked last night that her brother was in his room.

"Now I ain't that good at math, but I am good enough to figure out that 2 and 2 add up to 4. When you all of a sudden had to go to the doctor after having a boyfriend all this time, I was pretty sure I knew what you were going for."

"Are you mad at me?" Lizzie looked up at him with those big brown eyes, tears welling up in them.

"No baby" he put his arm around her "I ain't mad with you. If anything, I am thankful that boy came here. There's life in your eyes again. I think you might have found your forever love, you know, the person that you are gonna grow old with." Lizzie leaned in to her brothers arm and was relieved that he was not upset with her. She loved him with all her heart and his opinions meant a lot to her, even though she did not always agree with him.

"I was afraid you would be disappointed."

"Disappointed. No hell I ain't disappointed. I am proud of you. Look at what you have built here. And even gave your old sorry ass brother a home. I owe a lot to you"

Lizzie was thankful that he was not upset, and started back up to the house to find Andy. He was on the front porch talking on his cell phone. He broke into a huge grin when he saw her. He ended the call, bounded down the steps, and grabbed her, swinging her around.

"Maybe I should not be doing that"

"I wont break Andy"

They walked back into the house. Lizzie fixed both of them a glass of lemonade. Andy took a sip and sat the glass down on the table.

"So, how did things go with your brother?"

"Believe it or not, he already knew" Lizzie peered at him over her glass.

"I did not say a word" Lizzie tossed her head back and laughed.

"I know you didn't say a word" She stood up and started to put the chairs in the dining hall on top of the tables. The floor needed a good mopping, although she had a feeling she would not be allowed to mop.

Andy stood up and walked over to help her with the chairs.

"Rusty knows everything. Its like he has a built in radar. The night I lost my virginity, when I came home, he knew it." Lizzie reached for the broom and Andy took it away from her and pointed to a chair in the corner.

"You sit. I got this" Lizzie was sitting in the corner looking at him, and a huge wave of desire flooded over her. She could not believe watching him sweep the damn floor was turning her on like this. A friend of hers, Millie, had a baby last year and she had told Lizzie how out of control her hormones were. "Girl, it can thunder hard and I can have an orgasm" No way could her hormones be this active so soon.

Andy turned and looked at her watching him. He knew what that look meant, but was not really sure if they could even have sex or not.

Lizzie walked up behind him and grabbed him, right where it counted.

"Ok now cowgirl, don't start something you cant finish" He turned and looked at her.

"Oh, I can finish it for damn sure. Wanna take a walk down to the barn"

"Um, I know this is a dumb question, but with you being pregnant, can we…."

Lizzie laughed, "Yeah, I am pretty sure we can"

Andy looked at her and frowned, "It wont hurt anything?"

Lizzie shook her head no and took his hand. The two practically ran to the barn. It had started to sprinkle and by the time they got to the barn, it was pouring.

"I love making love to you in the rain." Andy said as he laid her down in a pile of hay.

"I love making love to you anywhere" Lizzie said, as she pulled his ball cap on and turned it around backwards on her head.

"The horses are watching" Andy looked at her and grinned.

"Well, maybe they are just as fascinated by you as I am." Lizzie ground her pelvis up to meet his. This man was a barbarian and then some. She yelled, loud as she climaxed, not caring who heard her.

Andy rolled to one side, pulling a piece of hay out of Lizzie's hair.

"Well," he said, "I guess that's what southerners mean by a good old roll in the hay" Lizzie laughed and rolled on top of him. She could literally eat him alive.

"What do you think you are doing?" Andy looked up at her and grinned.

"Oh, I am not done with you yet Mister." Lizzie shoved him to the ground and kissed him. She heard Georgia give a loud whinny and she started laughing.

"See, even Georgia agrees with me"

The two stayed in the barn until well after sundown.

The next morning, Andy and Rusty headed to town to pick up horse feed and some other supplies they would need to see to it the horses would be safe and well through the winter.

"You look tired son" Rusty said. He rolled the truck window down and blew a puff of smoke out the window.

"Yeah," Andy said. He really did not like talking about Lizzie, like that, to her brother.

"Ya'll have a late night?"

Andy nodded. Rusty looked at him and snickered.

"You think I don't know what you were doing in that barn last night"

Andy felt his face get hot. "Ok, now what am I suppose to say to that" he thought to himself.

"Hey, what you and Lizzie do ain't none of my affairs. I am just glad she is happy again. I have not seen her like this in a real long time. Just be sure you don't hurt her. I don't give a shit how many brothers you have, you hurt my baby, I will kill your ass, understood"

Andy nodded and looked out the window. He would never hurt Lizzie. Not intentionally anyway. He loved her too much.

Rusty pulled the truck to a stop in front of the feed store and got out. He pointed up to a tree as about 50 birds flew away.

"Bad storms comin" He looked at Andy, "We best hurry and get back to the house"

It had started to rain harder as Rusty and Andy turned down the road that led to Ellen B's. Andy had tried to call Lizzie to make sure she was ok, but never could get her to answer.

"You go on in the house" Rusty yelled over the pounding rain. "I am gonna run this stuff down to the barn."

Andy hopped out of the truck and ran inside as Rusty drove down toward the barn. He walked in the front door, yelling for Lizzie.

He ran upstairs to find her toweling her hair.

"Been trying to call you."

"Bad storms coming. I wanted to get a shower before it got bad. There are tornado warnings out."

Andy had been in one tornado when he and Sabrina had first moved to Indiana.

"Where's Rusty" Lizzie went downstairs looking for her brother.

"He went down to the barn to unload the supplies"

Lizzie whirled around, fear in her eyes.

"He cant be down there Andy, its not safe" Lizzie grabbed a raincoat that was hanging by the back door and started toward it"'

"No, no way are you going out there" Lizzie jerked her arm away from him

"I have to go and get him Andy. If that barn collapses…"

Lizzie could hear the tornado coming and grabbed Andy. She pulled both of them into the wine cellar that was just off the kitchen. Andy held her tight as the house shook. Lizzie heard a snap and then a crash. She buried her head into Andy's chest. God she hoped her brother was ok.

The next few minutes seemed like an eternity, but it stopped as quickly as it began. Andy pulled Lizzie up off the floor and held her tight.

"You ok?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I think so"

She walked to the back door and opened it. The pecan tree had snapped in half and fallen over, thankfully not landing on anything. Lizzie looked out toward the back of the property, and put her hand to her throat as a sob emerged.

"Andy. ANDY!" Lizzie screamed. " I cant see the barn. I cant see the barn" Lizzie bolted out the back door and started running, Andy right behind her.

They finally reached the pile of rubble and Lizzie was sobbing. She screamed for her brother, digging through the piles of rubble, and at last she heard a moan. She could see his hand sticking out from under a pile of two by fours, and before Andy could stop her, she had lifted the whole pile.

"Call an ambulance" Lizzie sobbed.

Andy grabbed the phone from his pocket and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he had service.

He hung the phone up and walked over and knelt by Lizzie.

"Please be ok" She sobbed, "You cant leave me"

"Hey," Andy rubbed her back, "Why don't you drive out to the main road so the ambulance knows where to turn." Lizzie nodded and stood up. "Just make sure there are no power lines in the road."

Andy knelt by Lizzie's brother. He knew he was badly hurt.

"Lemme tell you something. If I don't make it, you look after her" Andy looked down at Rusty and smiled.

"I think it will take more than a tornado to take you out" Rusty turned his head and winced.

Andy was relieved when he heard the siren. Within minutes the paramedics were there. They assessed the situation, and loaded Lizzies brother up.

"We think he may have some internal injuries, but we wont know until we get him to the hospital" Lizzie nodded.

The ambulance pulled out onto the highway, Lizzie and Andy following close behind. Andy did not know what to say to her. The only sense of security and stability Lizzie had ever had was fighting for his life in the back of the ambulance they followed.

"What if he dies" Lizzie almost whispered.

Andy took her hand, and kissed the back of it.

"He's not gonna die baby" He looked over at her. "He's tough. He will be fine."

They got to the hospital and waited for hours before the doctor came out. Lizzie dozed on Andy's shoulder. She was never any more thankful that he was in her life than now.

The doctor came in and sat down. Lizzie did not like the look on his face at all.

"Please, you cant tell me that. Please tell me that my brother did not die."

Andy walked over and stood behind Lizzie.

"I am not going to lie to you Lizzie" Dr Craven said, "He had some really bad internal injuries. It's a good thing you found him when you did."

"So what happens now" Lizzie looked up and Andy and then back at the doctor.

"Honey, its all in someone else's hands now. What we need today is a miracle"


End file.
